Hello one and all!!!!! Happy happy holidays and Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate. I had a really beautiful visit today with one of my dear friends that I’d like to share with you. My spirits have been pretty low lately, but this afternoon definitely put me back into the holiday swing of things. Hopefully this story will do the same to you!
This will be the second Christmas that my beloved grandma (rest her soul) will not be with us. But it still feels like just yesterday when she passed. She used to live in an assisted living center ran by devout nuns. During the years that she was there I became quite familiar with the Sisters, the residents, and one lady in particular: Neva. If you recall, I’ve wrote about her and our visits before. To give you guys a little refresher, Neva is a Southern Belle with the most fantastic Kentucky accent I’ve ever heard. She’s known me for over ten years now, and we truly have a mother/daughter relationship. Although my grandma is no longer with us, I still very much like to go and visit Neva and everyone else in the home. So today, I filled a bag full of Miss Neva’s favorite candy (Hershey’s chocolate kisses!) and drove off for a Christmas visit. It always makes me so happy when Neva answers the door to the room and sees that it was me who was knocking. Her eyes light up and she always greets me with a warm “Hi, Honey!” After our hugs hello I presented her with her bag of goodies, and she handed me a bracelet that matches the one she has in green, as seen below:
I was so touched by this gesture and was smiling from ear to ear. It was just so thoughtful and now I feel close to her even when we’re apart. After we exchanged our gifts I asked her to show me around the residence hall, because it’s always decorated so beautifully for the holidays. We gazed upon tree after tree and admired all of the ornaments and lights displayed on them. We then walked into the Chapel where all of the Poinsettias that still needed to be put out around the building were kept. In the Chapel we ran into one of the Sisters who was a main care taker for my grandma when her health started declining. “You’re all grown up!” She said as she greeted me with a warm embrace. At this point I was getting incredibly emotional, and she held me tighter as tears fell from my eyes. “You miss grandma, don’t you?” She asked, and all I could do was nod into her shoulder. After we let go she told me that last weeks Masses were held in memory of my sweet grandma, which made me cry even harder…but they were happy tears, because I know that her memory is eternal in the halls of her home and the hearts of everyone. Sister and Neva both told me how proud they were that I’m now in school and it made me feel so good. After a long hug good bye from Sister she told me that myself and my family is welcome in the halls of the residence anytime. I will definitely be taking her up on that. After our visit with Sister, Neva and I headed back into her room for some girl talk. We gossiped about boys and her family and danced around her room to Christmas carols. While sitting on her bed with my head on my shoulder, she stroked my hair and told me that I’m just like a daughter to her. How can you not feel amazing after hearing that? It was an absolutely glorious afternoon that I needed more than I realized. Here’s a picture of me and my dear friend, Neva:
I am wishing everyone the happiest of holidays. Whatever you celebrate, spend it with loved ones (pets included!) and good cheer. Special thoughts are sent to anyone who will be celebrating the holiday season without a loved one – my heart goes out to you more than you know. Love and good tidings to all of you! -Sarah
PS: Happy holidays from my doggies Gem and Winston!!!!
A few days ago I had one of the most fantastic times with my dear friend Kate. I’m sure you recall reading about her, as she’s the girl who I’m planning a trip to Europe with. She’s also my go to shopping partner!! A few weeks ago you might recall me posting about how Kate and I assembled a vintage Christmas tree together in her apartment. Unfortunately, we had no ornaments to decorate our tiny tree with, so we decided to make our own. During this fun filled evening we ate Taco Bell, drank our favorite Starbucks Peppermint Mochas, drank a bottle of wine, watched the live taping of Peter Pan that was released recently, and became the crafting queens. The night started with a trip to Patcatan’s which is a craft store, as you can guess. When we entered the store, we realized we didn’t exactly plan out what we needed very well. (The night that we assembled our tree, we had a Pinterest party to get some ideas for what ornaments to make.) So we made a quick verbal list of what we should get to at least get us started. We left the store with ornaments, black, silver, and pink glitter, a hot glue gun, black and yellow paint, paint brushes, and last but not least: googly eyes. After we finished up at Patcatans, we stopped at Giant Eagle so Kate could run in and get us a bottle of wine for the evening. A night with Miss Kate wouldn’t be complete without getting Taco Bell and Starbucks, so stops were made there as well and then we headed back to her apartment. If you take a look at my featured image, you’ll see our crafting table where all of the magic happened. Here’s a Pic Stitch collage of some of the ornaments that we made that night:
So I’m sure a lot of these ornaments are pretty self explanatory on what they are and how to make them, but here’s a little further detail on all of them:
Top left and bottom right Minion ornaments: If you’ve seen the movie Despicable Me, then you’ll know that these bulbs are supposed to be the Minions! Kate and I adore that movie, and when we saw this craft made on Pinterest, we knew that we had to give it a go. It’s as easy as it looks to make:
Step 1) Paint the ornament yellow
Step 2) Wait for the paint to dry and then paint a black band around the top of the ornament
Step 3) Wait for the black paint to dry and then hot glue the googly eyes on
Step 4) Complete your Minion by painting a little smile on it! 🙂
It’s up to you to decide whether your Minion ornament has one eye or two!!
Top right ornament: This was a really cool one that Kate made. She painted the outside of the ornament with a black paisley pattern and then she filled the bulb with red M&M’s. Super easy, super delicious.
Middle left and right ornament: At one point during our evening of crafting we both got quiet and were working intently on these ornaments for each other. When we both asked what the other was doing we each said something along the lines of “you can’t see it yet!” It turns out we were both making a name ornament for each other at the exact same time. If that isn’t best friend telepathy, then I don’t know what is!
I wrote Kate’s name with hot glue and then coated the glue in silver glitter. I then cut a red heart out of construction paper and put it inside the ornament. Viola!
Kate wrote my name in black paint and then put black glitter over top of it. She tore up red tissue paper and filled the inside of the bulb with it. Done.
Center candy cane reindeer: This is our beloved reindeer named Albert. Isn’t he the cutest?! Making this ornament is exactly how it looks like you would make it:
Step 1) Cut out antlers for the reindeer with brown foam paper and hot glue it onto the candy cane
Step 2) Cut out circles from the brown foam paper and hot glue googly eyes onto the circles. Then hot glue these onto the candy cane for the eyes
Step 3) Hot glue a red M&M onto the tip of the candy cane for the nose
Step 4) Wrap a ribbon around the neck of the candy cane and now you have your very own Albert!
Bottom left and center ornaments: These ornaments were made simply with paper and glitter.
On the bottom left ornament I drew the British flag, the German flag, and a tiny Eiffel Tower and then cut them out and stuck them in the inside of the ornament along with an ample amount of silver glitter. This little baby obviously symbolizes our European trip dream which will be happening in 2016!
The bottom center ornaments have the same “message in a bottle” idea as our dream ornament. They also have glitter….lots of glitter 🙂
So there you have it, some fun make shift crafts to get you in the holiday spirit!! Kate and I had such a blast making these. We also had an equally fun time drinking some delicious blackberry wine and enjoying Peter Pan Live. Here’s a little clip from it and if you haven’t seen the full movie, I can’t recommend it enough!!
Do you have any fun last minute holiday crafts to recommend? Did you make a seasonal craft that you were particularly proud of? I want to hear all about it, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Monday! -Sarah
PS: My brother is home for the holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!! Lil Red is a happy camper :))))
I absolutely LOVE shopping for Christmas gifts…and just shopping in general, so I’ve had a blast putting together my holiday gifts this year! Instead of venturing into the craziness at the mall to do my shopping, I’ve been purchasing all of my presents online at http://www.amazon.com – and let me tell you: it’s the best decision I’ve ever made! There is absolutely NOTHING better than shopping stress free from the comfort of your own home. After I stopped working at the mall in September, I haven’t really frequented it, aside from a handful of times. When I went to visit my sister at work on Wednesday afternoon last week, the mall was jam packed and it gave me anxiety!!! There were way too many people and the stores were so trashed that it made even window shopping obnoxious. One of the best things about Amazon is that it’s literally a one stop shop. They have everything you could possibly need to put together an awesome gift. There’s a few gifts that I’ve grown particularly fond of giving over the past few years that I’d like to share with you guys. Hopefully this will spark some ideas to help finish all of your holiday shopping!
TV Series Box Sets: These are literally the bread and butter of my Christmas gifts. It all started years ago when my mom would get my dad the Seinfeld seasons for his birthday or holidays. Then we started watching Curb Your Enthusiasm once we were confident that we’ve seen every Seinfeld episode known to man kind. My mom would get the seasons from the library but that gets annoying really quick when the DVDs skip from being scratched so much. So I took it upon myself to carry on my moms tradition and buy my dad a season or two for every gift giving occasion until we had the complete series. He loved it! Box sets of TV shows are so convenient, especially when the show you like to watch has to be accessed on the computer. Last year my sister was obsessed with Breaking Bad, but she could only watch it on Netflix, so Sarah the Gift Giving Extraordinaire got her the DVDs to solve the problem of her always hijacking the computer. This year I got my parents the box set of Six Feet Under, their new obsession that they can only access on http://www.hbogo.com. I also got my sister the last seasons of Breaking Bad to complete her collection and season one of The Strain. Unfortunately, Kristen already knows that she’s getting The Strain because she told me a few days ago that she planned on buying it so I had to tell her that I already had it pre ordered for her! She was still really happy all the same though!!
Board Games: This might be kind of a lame idea but I promise you that it’s effective!!! Nothing makes parents more happy than family game night….okay well maybe there’s a few things that make them happier – but still. This year I bought a strategy game Cards VS Dice for my brainiac brother and his fiance. My sister has been talking about wanting to get Cards Against Humanity for a while and I’ve heard that it’s a lot of fun, so I bought the starter packs of the game as a gift to everyone in the family. Some other fun games that I’d recommend if you’re thinking about giving a board game gift to your family are: Catch Phrase, Apples to Apples, Crush, and Quiddler. Another thing that falls under the game category would be puzzles. I got one of my brothers a jigsaw puzzle of one of his favorite football stadiums so that we could assemble it together. After the puzzle is complete I thought it would be cool to glue it together and frame it for a cool addition to his room.
Bath & Body Products: I know, I know – this is an obvious one. But let me fill you in on why I’m writing about it. Have you ever felt like a gift that you purchased just wasn’t enough? BOOM. Bath and body care is the perfect add on to a gift to make it feel more full and complete. The nice thing about getting somebody gifts to pamper themselves with is that they might not buy stuff like that on their own. Apparently not every grown woman buys bubble bath products anymore. Go figure. But anyways, I always buy some goodies from The Body Shop for my girlfriends to add on to their presents, and they love it every time. Just an FYI that in store and online The Body Shop has some extremely cute and very reasonably priced gift sets – you can check them out at http://www.thebodyshop.com!
Vacation Planning Books: Is there anyone in your family or friends that loves planning vacations? My dad would be that person in my family! He loves traveling and planning amazing family vacations. Next summer we plan on going to Universal Studios in Florida, so as part of his gift I bought him the 2015 guide to the amusement parks. I’m well aware that lots of local libraries carry these travel books, but it’s nice to own them so you can take notes and highlight things that look like fun in them. Do you know for sure that you’re going to be going on a vacation with family, friends, or a significant other? If so, another fun gift for the vacation planners would be purchasing a gift card to a restaurant in the area or making I Owe You cards for dinner or souvenirs from your travel location.
Gifts That Serve a Purpose: How many gifts have you received over the years that sit in your closet to this day? My number one rule for gift purchasing is buying things that I know for a fact the recipient is going to use. My best friend Lea loves writing down her daily schedule for school and work in a planner, so I got her a really cute 2015 planner and a travel coffee cup to match it. My parents like having a 365 day calender to look at over breakfast in the morning, so naturally that was an obvious gift to get them. My mom needs a new laptop case for work, so of course I’m going to get it for her. Gift giving becomes super easy when you think about what each person would definitely use. There’s also a 99% chance that the people who you’re purchasing for are going to love the handy gift you got them, which will save you from the awkward “did you happen to save the receipt” conversations!
So there you have it, the Lil Red Recommends – Holiday Gift Edition! Hopefully these suggestions will help with your holiday shopping this year! What was your favorite gift you’ve ever received? What gift are you most excited about giving this year? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah
Hello hello!!!! So I’m sure if you follow my blog at http://www.lifewithlilred.com, you’ll be familiar with one of my best friends Kate. She’s my partner in crime…especially when it comes to shopping and wild and crazy ideas! Well we just came up with one of our best ideas yet. After we both graduate college in two years we would like to take a month long trip to Europe as a graduation gift to ourselves. We’ve both been working very hard in school. As you know I’m getting my Associate of Arts degree at Tri-C while Kate is getting her Bachelors of Business degree at the University of Akron. What better way to celebrate a college degree than blowing our savings fund on one final hurrah before we enter the adult working world?! Before I get farther into our plan of tom foolery and travel, I think it would be wise to tell you guys more about my wild friendship roller coaster ride with Kate. We met in high school French class when I was a freshman and she was a senior. We both adored our French teacher and she clearly loved both of us a lot, because she was the reason we became friends. I was going through a lot of shit in my teenage years. As a matter of fact, freshman year was probably one of the worst years of my life. Mrs. Teacher thought it would be good for me to have an older student to look up to, sort of like a mentor, so she privately asked Kate to take me under her wing…and the rest is history. We’ve seriously been inseparable every since our awkward first interactions in that fateful French class. Our friendship has taken us everywhere from shopping trips, a night out at the movies, car rides to nowhere, and assembling a ninety year old vintage Christmas tree. (We actually assembled that tree over Starbucks Peppermint Mochas last evening…we plan on making handmade ornaments to decorate it with while consuming a lot of wine. Once the decorations are made, rest assured that pictures will be posted!) One of my fondest memories of my friendship with Kate was when I got my temporary license and she taught me how to drive. I’m actually pretty confident that Kate would tell you that that’s her favorite friendship memory as well. It was a blustery September day when I got my temps and later that evening Kate took me out to Starbucks to celebrate. (We obviously love caffeine!) After we downed our drinks she drove to the middle of god knows where in Akron to an empty parking lot and parked the car. I asked her what she was doing and she said “you’re going to drive”. I remember being so nervous and excited all at once. I hesitantly switched places with her and got behind the wheel of her car, Winston. She taught me the basics of accelerating, braking, turning, and parking. I drove around and around the parking lot practicing my left and right hand turns until it grew dark. Remember that line of Perks of Being a Wallflower where Charlie stated that he felt infinite? That’s exactly what I felt like that night. Ever since the first conversation Kate and I had about Harry Potter during our French class, she’s been like a big sister to me. Words can’t even describe how much I love her and how thankful I am to have her as my best friend.
So now that you know a little about us and our almost seven year friendship, here’s what I’m asking of you guys: What are some places in Europe that are must sees? We plan on spending a week in Paris, a week in London, and then spend the rest of the two weeks exploring and country hopping. What sights would we regret not going to? What’s the best stores or boutiques to shop at? (Because Kate and I LOVE shopping!) What restaurants do you recommend? And do you know of any cheap hotels or hostels that we could stay in? We’ll also be making a http://www.gofundme.com account within a month or so, so if you’re generous enough to donate to our travels, we’ll send you a handmade goody made with love by Kate and I and seal it with my red lipstick kiss. As soon as our account is made it will be posted to lifewithlilred! We would also be thrilled to meet up for coffee with any of my lovely European readers!
Thanks so much for reading and if you have any recommendations for us PLEASE leave me a comment and let’s chat! Don’t be a stranger! And if you read my reviews on American Horror Story Freak Show, made sure you check in with me tomorrow night for my review on the new episode!! Happy Tuesday! -Sarah
Happy happy Thanksgiving!!!! My sister, mother, and I have taken a break from our preparations of our Thanksgiving dinner, so I figured now would be a good time to send some holiday wishes to all of you! There are so many things that I’m thankful for that I’d like to share with you. In my list and explanations I didn’t include my family and friends, because those are the obvious ones! My close circle of immediate family and a whopping two friends (sad but true) will always be my number one, so no explanation is needed:) #enoughsaid
Here’s some of the things that I’m thankful for this holiday season and every day!
My education: I’ve been feeling an overwhelming sensation of pride in myself lately for finally getting myself back to school. I always thought that college wasn’t going to be for me, but now that I finished my first semester I wish that I would have started school sooner! I’m so thankful that my parents have been helping me occasionally with my tuition and text books. But shockingly, I’m also thankful for being able to pay most of my college expenses on my own. Which leads me to my second thing on my list….
My job: As soon as I ended my four year stint at PacSun, I honestly had no idea what I was going to do. I was so nervous for my future. I was so scared that I wouldn’t find another job right away. Getting that call with a job offer from Next was the biggest relief I’ve experienced in a long time. If it wasn’t for that call, there’s no way that I could afford paying for my education almost completely on my own, as well as keeping up with my car payment for the Little Red Love Machine. I’m so appreciative to have a job period, let alone a job that I really enjoy. My coworkers and clientele are just fantastic, so it makes going into work a joy.
My blog: This might sound dumb to some people, but I really am thankful for starting http://www.lifewithlilred.com!! I’ve been told that I should make a blog countless times before, so a little over two months ago I figured “why not?”. And I am so glad that I did! I forgot how much I enjoyed writing and expressing my feelings until I started trying to make a blog post or two daily. I’m so thankful for all of my readers and followers who have shown me so much love and support! Lifewithlilred is always going to be a thing, and I’m really hoping that as the hype continues to build that I’ll be able to make some kind of moolah for my work. But that’s thinking way far in advance! It’s good to dream though:)
Myself: Sarah: I am so thankful for the person who you’ve become. It feels so good to finally say that I love who I am after years of depression, self harm, and eating disorders. I love the way I look, which I never thought I would say. I love that I’m open and accepting to everyone. I love that I have a bright and bubbly personality. I love that I think for myself, which is so very important. Most of all, I’m thankful that I’m finally able to recognize all of these amazing qualities about myself. I’m thankful that I’m no longer in a zombie like state of depression. I’m finally thankful to be alive.
So there you have it – the other things that I’m thankful for besides my family and friends! I hope all of you have an amazing Thanksgiving today. I hope all of you share it with people who you love. Where ever you are in the world – I am so thankful for you! Thank you so much for reading. If you have any questions or concerns: leave me a comment and let’s chat! ALSO: If you partake in Black Friday shopping tonight or tomorrow PLEASE remember to be kind to the retail workers!!! I promise you that they would give anything to not be working amongst all of the craziness that is sure to happen! Send me some good luck vibes as well so I can get through my Black Friday shift! It would be much appreciated 😉 Happy holidays! -Sarah
So as you guys know, I LOVE me a good craft – specifically canvas art! My best friend Lea and I just completed a super fun, cute, and easy craft that I thought I would share! Take a look:
What you’ll need:
Canvas board
Spray paint in multiple colors
Durable tape that you can spray paint over
How we did it:
As I mentioned above, this craft was easy peasy lemon squeezey. But here’s my step by step guide, just in case you can’t figure it out by yourself! 😉
Step one: On your canvas place your tape in any location and pattern of your choosing. I kept my design fairly simple, while Lea incorporated the wore “Smile” onto hers. You have my permission to go crazy with your canvas taping until you reach your desired pattern. Not gonna lie, it took Lea and I a LONG ass time to lay out our pattern because we’re both such perfectionists. If she wasn’t there making me laugh the entire time, I would have gotten up and left. Mama was getting frustrated!!! (Leave it to me to not be able to make a triangle made out of tape for my arrows. #fml)
Step two: Take your newly taped canvas outside along with the spray paint colors that you picked out. The colors that were used by Lea and I were purchased with the intent to make another craft that didn’t turn out too hot. Since we’re ballin on a budget we figured we could just use the same colors for this new craft and it ended up looking great! The metallic silver and gold along with the blue complimented each other a lot better than I thought. Anywho, once you have your color scheme figured out, go ahead and spray paint to your hearts content. Fair warning that some of the paint will more than likely leak through the tape. But fear not – because in my opinion the dripping paint gives the canvas character! Rub some dirt on it and it will be fine…or whatever.
Step three: Leave your canvas outside or in a well ventilated room to dry. (Spoiler alert – the spray paint smells like butt!) Once your canvas is dry, you can remove your tape and reveal your masterpiece!!!
So there you have it, a quick and easy craft that cost a little over ten dollars to make. Not bad for some super cute new wall art! If anyone has some fun holiday craft suggestions pleeeease let me know! And if you for some reason have any questions on this project, leave me a comment and let’s chat. Have a great night! -Sarah
Alright guys, I met the coolest dude at work at Next tonight, and I NEED you guys to give him some love. Dominic Mashorda is the NINETEEN YEAR OLD owner of his own business. A sneaker store in Youngstown, Ohio that is so very originally called Sneakerville. 😉 Best believe I have to represent everyone doing it big in my home state. Dominic came into my store tonight looking to buy some gear to resell in his business. This young man was such a pleasure to talk and hang out with – and a lot of talking and hanging out was done considering he was in Next for over two hours. I’m not going to disclose how much money was spent in the time he was there, but sweet Dominic left with bags full of rad new merch for Sneakerville. His story is seriously one of the most insane tales of motivation and dedication I’ve ever heard, so please read up on him. This awesome article I found basically explains it all:
Credit is deserved when credit is due, and every ounce of success this kid earns is so well deserved. Dominic was so sweet and humble the entire time he was in the store. There were two young teenage boys who were checking out the new pair of Lebron’s that launched today while Dom was paroosing the store. Dominic had already set aside a size to purchase for Sneakerville, which happened to be the size one of the boys needed. Without a moments hesitation he offered the kicks to the young man and made his day. After he was done with his shopping, Dominic offered to take myself and my coworker out to Chipotle after we closed up for the night – but unfortunately, Chipotle had the same idea because they were closed too! 😦 It was such a kind gesture though!
I have a deep admiration and respect for young men and women out in the world who are making it happen, so it only felt right to give my new friend and young entrepreneur a shout out on here. And let me just repeat…Dominic is NINETEEN. He’s out there making things happen that people twice his age are doing. If that’s not impressive, than I really don’t know what is. I’m older than Dom by a year, but his experience made him seem years above me. Meeting this young man made me want to get my ass in gear and start working even harder for the things I want in life: My college degree, a faithful band of followers on http://www.lifewithlilred.com, and to continue to pursue theater acting work on the side. Seeing this young man reach his dreams at such a young age was the inspiration I needed to keep putting in work for everything I aspire to accomplish. If you have time, give Dominic Mashorda a Google or Yahoo search. Familiarize yourself with his work and the face of a kid who’s going to take the business world by storm.
What makes a great business man or woman to you? What is your definition of success? What’s a dream that you’re working to make a reality? I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let’s chat. Have a fantastic Thursday night! -Sarah
Annnnd as always, here’s my shameless promotion of Next and all of the cool shoes, clothes, and accessories that we have to offer!
http://ruleofnext.com/ (Sales pitch: Now is a great time to check out all of our sneakers for our fall sale!!!)
Recommendations one through ten from yours truly ❤ :
1) Read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. If you read my article about this book, you’ll already know how much I love it. I just finished rereading this novel by Rachel Joyce today and it still made me cry just as much as when I read it the first time. I’m really looking forward to reading Rachel Joyce’s other book, Perfect. So be on the look out for my thoughts on that once I start reading it!
2) Go on a hike by yourself. Seriously this may be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. If you read my article An Ohio Hike, you’ll know that I had an absolutely lovely solo hiking experience this past week. I felt so at peace when I was walking through the forest with just me, myself, and I. Hearing the sounds of nature and being alone with my own thoughts was so calming. Walking through the beautiful Ohio Metroparks is definitely something I’d like to continue doing.
3) Write a letter to yourself. I know, I know, so corny right? Contrary to popular belief – it’s not. One of my first college assignments this past week was to write a letter to my future self. My professor promised all of her students that she wouldn’t be reading our letters, just simply mailing them back to us when she felt the time was right. Our only guideline for the assignment was to be kind to ourselves. With that in mind, I wrote a letter straight from the heart to my future self. I wrote all of the positive affirmations I tell myself and then some and it felt so good. Seeing the words I speak to myself in my head on paper made phrases like “you’re beautiful inside and out” very real to me. If that makes sense? If you’d like to read exactly what I wrote to myself, you can check out my article Letter to Myself. Once you complete your letter, tuck it away somewhere special and whenever you need reassurance or positivity, it will be there for you.
4) Listen to Mika!!!! This lovely gentleman is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was playing him on my way home from work yesterday night and had a blast. I completely forgot how much I enjoy his gorgeous vocals and insane falsetto. This is a true story, I discovered Mika years ago when they used his track We Are Golden in a Degrassi commercial on TeenNick. I loved the song so much that I had to hear more. Screaming “we are not what you think we are, we are golden, we are golden” in my car with the windows down last night was exactly what I needed after a day at work! Mika’s talent is so pure and impressive and I can’t get enough of it.
5) Check out the bands Fallen Captive and Below The Tide: Two of the fantastic gentlemen who work at Odd Fellows Tattoos in Akron (where I got my latest tattoo done) are also members of some pretty cool heavy metal bands. Travis Lamont who did my gorgeous Isis piece this weekend plays a mean guitar for Below The Tide while Mitch Pivarski of Fallen Captive lays down some insane vocals. Help support Akron Ohio’s local music scene by showing these guys some love! These gents are two of the best guys you’ll ever meet, and I’m so glad to have the pleasure of knowing them!
6) While you’re at it, give Odd Fellows Tattoos a like: I had the pleasure of getting my latest ink addition done here, and the experience was nothing but positive. You can read all about it in my latest article Body Mods! Part 2. This shop is inhabited by fantastic tattoo artists, piercers, and the all around coolest guys ever. Please show the Akron body art scene some love by giving their Facebook page a like. Make sure you browse through all of the photos of the amazing work that gets done there on the daily. And in case you haven’t seen my newest tattoo yet, here’s a pic of the goddess Isis, done by Travis Lamont, as well as their Facebook page.
7) Pamper yourself: A few nights ago I took the most amazing bubble bath ever. I lit some fall scented candles in the bathroom, played the gorgeous Amy Winehouse on my iPod, and filled up the tub with some floral scented suds. This sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but sometimes we forget to give ourselves a little treat. I didn’t realize how tense I was from the days work until I sunk into the steaming water. Amy Winehouse is one of the best artists to play while taking a bubble bath – she makes everything so much more luxurious! Enya is also a highly recommended bath time artist as well! After I got out of the tub, I wrapped myself in a fluffy new towel to dry off. As an extra treat I lathered on some Satsuma body butter from The Body Shop. My skin was soft as a baby’s bottom after that! BTW, I believe all of The Body Shop’s bath and body care is half off right now on their website, so take a look if you’re interested! http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/
8) Listen to Say Hi (formerly known as Say Hi To Your Mom): I absolute adore Mr. Eric Elbogen of Say Hi. I’ve been a fan of this one man band for quite some time now, but have been listening to him very frequently as of late. I can’t get enough of the quirky lyrics of this Seattle native. From the haunting lullaby like tune of “I Think I’ll be a Good Ghost” to making a morbid lyric like “I’m gonna drink your blood” in “Blah Blah Blah” sound romantic – this guy can do no wrong. I stumbled upon this artist when he was still Say Hi To Your Mom. I was strolling through the CD section of Best Buy with my brother, when I pointed out the funny name of Eric Elbogen’s act and we shared a laugh. Once I got home, I was curious about what the music of Say Hi To Your Mom sounded like, so I looked it up, and the rest is history.
9) Do a Halloween activity: This Friday night my sister, her boyfriend, and myself went to The Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory in Akron. We had a blast! We only went through the Laboratory because we didn’t feel like paying for both houses. Both haunted houses boast four floors of fright. There were a lot of really cool rooms in the Laboratory, like an operating room, a room inspired by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a dentists office. The timing of the actors in the haunted house was so perfect. They would pop out right when we were more than half way through a room with the thought that we wouldn’t get a scare. It was like they were reading our minds, because as soon as we thought we were smooth sailing, out would come a masked man yielding a chainsaw! It was so fun holding on to each other and laughing every time one of the actors got us! I would love to go to the Haunted Schoolhouse before the Halloween season is over! I would also like to hear about popular haunted houses in your neck of the woods, so please leave me a comment about them!
10) Take a shopping trip: Today my mom and I went to TJMaxx to browse their fall and winter clothing. If you guys follow all of my OOTD’s, then you already know how much I love TJ’s! Unfortunately, there was nothing too impressive on our trip today, but it was still so fun to go with my mom and point out our likes and dislikes. It’s always a hit or miss when we make a TJ’s trip, so hopefully next time we go there will be tons of cute and new stuff! I can’t recommend going to one of your favorite stores for a little pick me up enough. In the words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation: TREAT YOSELF!
So there you have it, my Lil Red Recommends for the week! What’s your favorite Halloween activity to do? I’d really like to get in some more Halloween fun before the week is up! Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions! Have a great night! -Sarah
If you’ve read my previous post MIDDLE AGED MONDAY, then you’ll know all about my good friend Tyler. Today we had our last hang out until January, because he leaves for basic training in Oklahoma on October 20th. (The same day that I start school!) Tyler and I met during a show we both performed in back in March. Amongst all of the cast members of the show, Suicide in B Flat, Tyler and I just clicked. We both share a very similar snarky sense of humor and a love for all things pop culture. We instantly bonded over music, television, and a deep love for Chipotle. Tyler was really the only cast mate from Suicide who I wanted to keep in touch with after the show was over. And I’m so glad we did. We’ve been hanging out together ever since. As a brief refresher, Middle Aged Monday (AKA MAM) involves day drinking, crafting, watching The Breakfast Club, eating Chipotle, and going on hikes – just to name a few of the activities! That’s just a brief description of our wild and crazy hang outs together. Our afternoon excursion today was bittersweet, because I feel like I barely got any time with him at all, when really I got almost eight full months with him. But then again, any amount of time feels like not enough when someone you care about goes away for a while. Tyler will be stationed in California after he completes his basic training and I’m soooo excited to visit him there! We already have plans of drinking on the beach, drinking in the bars, and going to amusement parks. Basically…we’re gonna be moving MAM to California! Complete with Hawaiian shirts and fanny packs: the middle aged tourist essentials. Tyler will also be home for a few weeks in January so we’ll have some much needed catch up time then! I can’t wait! I’m so thankful that he’ll be able to text me when he can, and of course we’ll be writing to each other too! I’m so excited to send him novels of what’s going on in my life and how boring Ohio is! Here’s a few pics from some of our hang outs and from Suicide in B Flat:
I love you so much Tyler! I’m so thankful for all of the fabulous memories we have together. Most importantly, I’m beyond grateful that I have an amazing friend for life. Please send good vibes my friends way as he enters this new and exciting chapter in his life! Have a great night guys. -Sarah
If you’re ever in the Akron, Ohio area, I cant recommend going to the Blue Door Cafe enough. It’s located in Cuyahoga Falls, which is lucky for me because it’s right down the street from my house! The Blue Door is probably one of the best hole in the wall food establishments I’ve ever dined at. Their menu changes frequently, and a lot of their options accommodate to dietary considerations such as vegetarian (which is great for me!), vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. Whenever I go for brunch or lunch with my best friend Kate, I always order the exact same thing – their grilled cheese sandwich! It’s hands down the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. The changes they made to the sandwich for their fall menu was delicious – it included thick pieces of cheddar cheese and diced apples in the middle to add the perfect amount of seasonal flare. The meal also includes a bowl of their tomato soup which was especially tasty when I went yesterday. There were hints of what tasted like red wine for a unique touch. You also get the option to pick between fresh fruit, greens, or home baked potato chips to accompany your meal. I always pick the fresh fruit. The medley of pineapple, strawberries, blue and black berries, and grapes was just gorgeous yesterday. The colors were vibrant and they tasted as sweet as sugar. The Blue Door Cafe also boasts a lovely bakery where the pastries and breads used in each meal are made daily. You can also purchase their bakery items there as well. My grilled cheese sandwich was made with thick slices of freshly baked Challah bread. Delicious! Kate usually opts for the Tartine when we go to the Blue Door. I’ve gotten it once before and it’s great! The Tartine is a dark chocolate filled croissant with three dipping sauces on your plate – blackbery jam, melted white chocolate, and melted milk chocolate. This treat also comes with fresh fruit. Yum!! The croissant is to die for – it’s the perfect balance of crisp and soft with a sweet butter glaze to top it all off. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
Not only is the food at the Blue Door Cafe incredible, but the service there is fantastic too. The servers and chefs are so great at what they do. One of the managers, Wes, is just the sweetest guy in the whole world. He usually takes care of me and Kate – we’re his favorites! Especially me. Yesterday when he brought me my coffee, he also returned with a flower he made out of parchment paper.
So. Sweet. My heart absolutely melted! Swoon!
If you’d like to learn more about the Blue Door Cafe, here is their website: http://bluedoorcafebakery.com/ . Make sure you check it out!
What’s your favorite hole in the wall establishment to eat at? What do you like to order there? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Friday! -Sarah
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